Liquid pressurization systems produce high pressure (e.g., up to 90,000 pounds per square inch or greater) streams of liquid for various applications. For example, high pressure liquid may be delivered to a liquid jet cutting head, a cleaning tool, a pressure vessel, or an isostatic press. In the case of liquid jet cutting systems, liquid can be forced through a small orifice at high velocity to concentrate a large amount of energy on a small area. To cut hard materials, a liquid jet can be “abrasive” and include abrasive particles for increasing cutting ability. As used herein, the term “liquid jet” includes any substantially pure water jet, liquid jet, and/or slurry jet. However, the systems and methods described herein can apply to other systems that use liquid pumps or similar technology.
To generate a high pressure liquid stream, a liquid pressurization system can use a high-pressure intensifier pump. A high-pressure intensifier pump typically uses a piston (e.g., plunger) to draw a volume of liquid into a cylinder on an intake stroke and pressurize the volume of liquid on a pressure stroke. As the plunger reciprocates within the cylinder, it passes through a seal assembly. The seal assembly prevents pressurized liquid in the cylinder from flowing past the plunger and leaking from the pump. The pump can also include various other sealing components arranged at various locations throughout the pump to limit liquid from flowing from the cylinder other than through its intended output. High-pressure fluid from the pump can be collected and provided to a tool to perform a desired function, e.g., cutting or cleaning.
Due to the cyclical nature of the system, many of the moving parts (e.g., seals, check valves, etc.) of the intensifier have a limited lifetime, eventually wearing out/failing as they are cycled between extreme pressures. Current seal assemblies can wear significantly with pump use and therefore require frequent replacement, which can lead to system downtime as worn seals are investigated and leaking seal assemblies are replaced.